Clear, crisp and cold winter days. When the sun is shining. When the mid-afternoon sun is just enough to make you sit outdoors, drink some coffee and enjoy the warmth with the ones you care about. Those have been the days in Portugal so far. Opposite to today where is pouring rain. The kind of Portuguese winter days that I am used to. Rainy days. It rains so much in winter that just makes you wanna stay inside and bake scones. Although these ones where baked after those warm and sunny afternoons. Coming home to knead some flour is such a good thing. I can barely explain but something I do really enjoy. I have been thinking about scones for quite a while. Now was the perfect occasion to share some at home with some orange curd. Because this winter I have had so much citrus fruit that I have been eating them as much as I can. So scones it was. A perfect excuse to match scones with citrus fruit. Even better next morning for breakfast. No fuss just enjoyable.

In a bowl mix very well the flour, the baking powder, the sugar and the butter (at room temperature). The add the rosemary and tangerine zest. After opening a furrow in the mixture, pour the milk and mix until the dough have an homogeneous texture.

Now put the dough in a floured surface, extend it in a round shape and cut the scones in a triangele shape, just like the ones in the photo. Should be 1 cm tall.

Place them in a baking tray, brush with milk and sprinkle with rosemary, tangerine zest and poppy seeds.

The first recipe of the year. In this case, cinnamon and hazelnuts will do it for me. It always does. A combination of two of my favourite flavours. In a recipe that is perfect for winter. A Jewish sweet bread with layers of cinnamon and crunchy hazelnut. A good idea for sunday breakfast. A perfect saturday night, in the kitchen, baking a bread. Mixing the ingredients and waiting for the dough to rise. Mine not be everyone's cup of tea but sure is mine. And also my kinda of sunday breakfast when brunch is not an option.

A recipe taken out of Jarry Magazine issue 2. A quite interesting magazine and a recipe that's even better, as not only tells you how to recreate the recipe at home but also let's you know the story of this Eastern European Jewish sweet bread (Babka). On top of that also gives you plenty of amazing filling suggestions like Chocolate-Passion Fruit or Churro, but I prefer cinnamon and hazelnut

ingredients (dough):

235 ml milk, slightly warm

1 sachet active dry yeast (7 g)

100 g sugar + 1 tsp sugar

3 eggs

600 g flour

1 tsp. salt

113 g unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed

ingredients (cinnamon-hazelnut filling)

150 g unsalted butter, room temperature

300 g sugar

6 tsp. grounded cinnamon

200 g hazelnuts, grossly chopped

Start by combining the milk, dry east and 1 tsp. sugar in a large mixing bow. Let stand until the yeast begins to foam, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining sugar and 3 eggs and mix well until the mixture is consistent. Slowly stir in the flour and salt until a tacky dough forms. Add the butter, a little at a time, and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth (but still tacky). Involve in flour and place in a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen town and allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, for about 1 hour.

Then prepare the filling, mixing the butter in a bowl with sugar and cinnamon and setting aside.

After one hour, divide the dough into two balls.

On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 ball into a 30 cm x 30 cm square (about 0,5 cm thick). Spread the entire surface with half of the cinnamon mixture and scatter 100 g of hazelnuts over the top.

Then starting on one of the sides, roll the dough up into a tight log. Slice the dough in half lengthwise, but leaving 1 cm of dough connected on the top. Twist the two strands together and seal the cut ends by pinching them together. Carefully place in a loaf pan (23 cm x 13 cm) lined with baking paper. [Repeat the process for the other dough - to make a second babka].

Cover with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour.

After the 1 hour, brush the dough with a slightly beaten egg and place in a preheated oven at 175 º C for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.